Post-listening

Consider the following points. Share your ideas with a partner or a small group. Be prepared to explain your answers to the class.

a. Why is John Martin amazed to see the group of consultants in the firm?

b. What made H.G. call in a firm, who are consultants in work study techniques?

c. What can Mr. Scott and his consultants do for Harper & Grant Ltd.?

d. In what way does Advertising Manager have a hand in inviting consultants?

e. What were the steps H.G. hadn’t bargained for and why do these steps make him annoyed?

2. Recount the situation as if you were John Martin. Say what you think your firm needs as far as management is concerned.

3. Suppose you are Peter Wiles. What makes you think that workers might dislike investigators and interfere with their work?

4. Render the situation as if you were Joanna Harvey.

5. Act out a conversation between

a. Peter Wiles and Hector Grant about the results of the work study survey and the necessity of changes in the firm;

b. Peter Wiles and John Martin after the departure of the consultants

Unit 10

The Pension Fund Meeting

Phrase list

Listen to the tape and practise the pronunciation of the following words and word combinations, quote the sentences in which they are used in the unit. Consult a dictionary and translate them into Russian.

a compulsory scheme

to sack somebody/ to be sacked

syn. to dismiss

There is no call for...

the Pension Fund Trustees’ Meeting

to come up

to save somebody from redundancy

a pension scheme

to pay contributions into the pension fund

a period of employment

to qualify for a pension

to be entitled to the (full) pension

to be due to retire

the articles of the pension fund

to be impeccable

to do something for the sake of something

to agree the accounts

at a rough guess

to be compensated out of something

to make something up to the proper amount

to make full use of something/somebody

to take over (a takeover)

to hold percentage

to streamline the company

to persuade somebody to see reason

to use one’s ingenuity in doing something